On Turning Sharply Round For
The Spare Rifle, I Had The Mortification To See That Both The
Black Boys Had Made Off, And Were Scrambling Like Monkeys Up A
Tree.
At the same time the rhinoceros, fortunately for me, on
second consideration turned to the right-about, and shuffled
away, leaving, as is usually the case when conical bullets are
used, no traces of blood.
Thus ended the night's work. We now went home by dawn to apprise
all the porters that we had flesh in store for them, when the two
boys who had so shamelessly deserted me, instead of hiding their
heads, described all the night's scenes with such capital mimicry
as to set the whole camp in a roar. We had all now to hurry back
to the carcass before the Wagogo could find it; but though this
precaution was quickly taken, still, before the tough skin of the
beast could be cut through, the Wagogo began assembling like
vultures, and fighting with my men. A more savage, filthy,
disgusting, but at the same time grotesque, scene than that which
followed cannot be conceived. All fell to work armed with
swords, spears, knives, and hatchets - cutting and slashing,
thumping and bawling, fighting and tearing, tumbling and
wrestling up to their knees in filth and blood in the middle of
the carcass. When a tempting morsel fell to the possession of
any one, a stronger neighbour would seize and bear off the prize
in triumph. All right was now a matter or pure might, and lucky
it was that it did not end in a fight between our men and the
villagers.
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